Leclerc needs to be "good in the head" to succeed at Ferrari
Eleven-time grand prix winner Rubens Barrichello believes Charles Leclerc needs to be "good in the head" to succeed at Ferrari in Formula 1.

Leclerc has landed a dream graduation to the famous Italian team after just one season at Sauber.
The 21-year-old stepped up to F1 with back-to-back titles in GP3 and Formula 2, and ex-Ferrari driver Barrichello reckons mentality will be key to Leclerc's next step.
"I'm super excited for him," Barrichello told Motorsport.com. "He's one of those young guys who really made his way through [impressively].
"To get into Ferrari [and be successful], the only thing you need is to be really good in your head. Talent, we know he has.
"It's going to be a good challenge for Seb."
Leclerc embarked on a rich vein of form after his Ferrari deal was announced, giving the first indication he is capable of handling the pressure of driving for the Scuderia.
He finished ninth in Singapore then earned his first 'Class B' win of the season at the next race in Russia, where he finished seventh after a stunning early pass around the outside of Kevin Magnussen.
Assaults from Magnussen and the other Haas of Romain Grosjean ruined his Japanese and United States GPs, but Leclerc rebounded with consecutive seventh-place finishes in Mexico, Brazil and Abu Dhabi.
The last of those moved ex-Ferrari team boss Ross Brawn, now the sporting chief of F1, to declare that while Leclerc will need to make a "significant" step to handle Ferrari, his move could also force Vettel to raise his game.
"Leclerc has been pretty impressive," says Brawn. "He's not had a tough reference yet and that will come in 2019.
"Being at Ferrari brings enormous pressure and he'll have the pressure of racing against a world champion, a multi-world champion, so he's going to have a pretty challenging year.
"But from what I have seen so far, I expect him to do a very respectable job."

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF71H
Photo by: Jerry Andre / Sutton Images

Previous article
Schumacher's overlooked early brilliance
Next article
Calderon “crossing fingers” for chance against F1 regulars

About this article
Series | Formula 1 |
Drivers | Charles Leclerc |
Teams | Ferrari |
Author | Scott Mitchell |
Leclerc needs to be "good in the head" to succeed at Ferrari
Trending
Scuderia Ferrari Filming Day Backstage Footage
Back to Work | Valtteri Bottas' 2021 Seat Fit
F1 Explained | Mercedes Power Unit
How McLaren F1’s new investors have already made an impact
The deal McLaren concluded with MSP Sports Capital last year which will help the cash-strapped Formula 1 team pay for much-needed infrastructure upgrades, also points toward the future for F1 itself, says GP Racing's Stuart Codling.
Why Verstappen isn't interested in the hype game
In a pre-season where Red Bull has been unusually quiet, Max Verstappen has also been guarded about the team's fortunes in 2021. Even after trying the RB16B for the first time at Silverstone, the Dutchman was careful to manage expectations
The pros and cons of F1's 2021 rule changes
In the strategy for grand prix racing's future, 2021 represents a significant step towards the goal of closer racing and a more level playing field. That's the theory behind the latest raft of changes, but will they have the desired effect?
What Red Bull is trying to hide with its RB16B launch
Red Bull made no secret of the fact its 2021 F1 car is an evolution of its predecessor, but in keeping the same foundations while hiding some tightly-guarded updates with its RB16B, the team aims to avoid suffering the same pitfalls of previous years
How Albon plans to fight his way out of Red Bull limbo
Alex Albon has faced the media for the first time since he lost his Red Bull drive at the end of 2020 and dropped out of a Formula 1 race seat altogether. He has a history of bouncing back from setbacks, so here's what he must do to rise again
Ranked! Carlin's greatest F1 graduates
Carlin has helped guide enough drivers to Formula 1 to fill out an entire grid, plus a handful of reserves, to create a remarkable alumni list. With Yuki Tsunoda set to join that group, Motorsport.com has ranked its graduates to grace the grand prix scene...
Why Alfa's 2021 launch says more about its 2022 plans
Alfa Romeo launched its C41 with a revised front nose, but there's little to suggest it will surge up the leaderboard in 2021. As the team frankly admits, it's putting its eggs in the basket labelled 2022 and hoping to hold the eighth place it earned last year
Why Gasly’s AlphaTauri haven is a blessing and a curse
Red Bull opted not to re-sign Pierre Gasly even before it decided to drop Alex Albon and so the Frenchman's Formula 1 journey will continue at AlphaTauri. This has positive and negative connotations for one of last season's star performers.